With billions of users each month, YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine and top website for video content. This makes it a great place for advertising. To succeed, advertisers need to follow the correct YouTube ad specifications. These rules help your ad reach more viewers, increasing the chance of gaining new customers and boosting brand awareness.
Description: These play before, during, or after a YouTube video on computers or mobile devices.
Types:
In-stream ads: Can be skippable or non-skippable.
Bumper ads: Non-skippable, short ads that play before, during, or after a video.
Description: These appear in different spots on YouTube and usually use text or static images.
Note: YouTube does not support display image ads directly on its app, but these can be targeted to YouTube.com through Google Display Network (GDN).
Description: Appears to the right of the YouTube player on desktop.
Requirement: Must be purchased alongside In-stream ads, Bumper ads, or In-feed ads.
Description: Resemble videos with images, headlines, and text. They link to a public or unlisted YouTube video.
Description: Mobile-only video ads that play outside of YouTube, on websites and apps within the Google video partner network.
Description: Premium, high-visibility banner ads displayed at the top of the YouTube homepage for both desktop and mobile users.
Placement: Before, during, or after a YouTube video.
Resolution:
Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
Square: 1080 x 1080px
Aspect Ratio:
Horizontal: 16:9
Vertical: 9:16
Square: 1:1
Length:
Awareness: 15-20 seconds
Consideration: 2-3 minutes
Action: 15-20 seconds
Description: Must be watched completely before the main video.
Length: 15 seconds (or 20 seconds in certain markets).
Resolution:
Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
Square: 1080 x 1080px
Aspect Ratio:
Horizontal: 16:9
Vertical: 9:16
Square: 1:1
Length: Maximum 6 seconds.
File Format: MP4, Quicktime, AVI, ASF, Windows Media, or MPEG.
Resolution:
Horizontal: 640 x 360px
Vertical: 480 x 360px
Description: Show alongside YouTube content, like search results or the Home feed.
Resolution:
Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
Square: 1080 x 1080px
Aspect Ratio:
Horizontal: 16:9
Square: 1:1
Length:
Awareness: 15-20 seconds
Consideration: 2-3 minutes
Headline/Description:
Headline: Up to 2 lines, 40 characters per line
Description: Up to 2 lines, 35 characters per line
Description: Static images or animated media that appear on YouTube next to video suggestions, in search results, or on the homepage.
Image Size: 300×60 pixels.
File Type: GIF, JPG, PNG.
File Size: Max 150KB.
Max Animation Length: 30 seconds.
Description: Mobile-only video ads that appear on websites and apps within the Google video partner network, not on YouTube itself.
Logo Specs:
Square: 1:1 (200 x 200px).
File Type: JPG, GIF, PNG.
Max Size: 200KB.
Description: High-visibility ads at the top of the YouTube homepage.
Resolution: 1920 x 1080 or higher.
File Type: JPG or PNG (without transparency).
YouTube offers a variety of ad formats to reach audiences effectively in 2024. Whether you want to build brand awareness, drive conversions, or target specific demographics, YouTube provides a dynamic platform for your advertising needs. Always follow Google’s advertising policies and the technical ad specs to ensure your ads perform their best. Ready to start using YouTube ads? Contact us today to get started!
